Working during the year’s busiest season is never fun. But one content creator called out retail companies for making employees’ lives even harder by adding “corporate” plants throughout the store.
TikTok user @awalmartparkinglot, a former retail and hospitality employee, posted the video in mid-December. As of Monday morning, it had accumulated over 158,600 views.
“One of my favorite things about the holiday season is that a lot of corporate employees are doing ‘store walks’ where they look like a regular retail worker and walk around the store,” she says.
@awalmartparkinglot says that companies might think this is considerate because they’re lending a helping hand to busy stores. But as someone on the receiving end of this behavior, she says it was aggravating. And their motivations for “helping,” she adds, aren’t altruistic.
“They want to make sure that you’re getting people to sign up for credit cards,” @awalmartparkinglot claims. “They want to make sure all the holiday marking bullsh*t looks the way it’s supposed to look.”
@awalmartparkinglot says that the plants often try to convince retail employees to build relationships with customers and “chat ’em up.” But she said that customers never want this and instead want “quick, friendly, efficient service.”
Now, as a customer, @awalmartparkinglot says that she can spot corporate plants—even if they try to be incognito. Her goal is to ensure that the plants aren’t bothersome to retail workers. “I like to find those people,” she says. “I like to be a barrier between them and the retail employee.”
@awalmartparkinglot explains that she spots the plants because they often “don’t know sh*t about anything” and “have a certain life” in their eyes that regular retail workers don’t. So, when she finds the plants, especially when they’re in the middle of talking with an employee, @awalmartparkinglot says that she’ll grab them and ask for their help.
“They’re always so excited to help you and so I like to ask them really detailed questions,” she explains. “Retail employees are going through enough this time of year. They don’t need [plants] there.”
@awalmartparkinglot notes that keeping the plants busy with her “detailed questions” gets them away from the employees and forces their attention elsewhere.
“I really enjoy bothering them,” she says, ending her video. “I just love to bother someone from corporate.”
@awalmartparkinglot ♬ original sound – awalmartparkinglot 👩🏼🏫✨
This isn’t the first time a content creator has called out “floor walkers” who disrupt the shopping experience. In November, one content creator got his revenge on a purported Walmart floor walker by following them around the store. Another content creator accused Walmart floor walkers of discriminating against him because of how he looks.
In the comments of @awalmartparkinglot’s TikTok, many employees confirmed that corporate plans make shopping less fun both for customers and workers.
“I quit a seasonal job at macy’s b/c the ONLY thing they wanted me to sell customers was credit cards,” one worker shared. “I love retail, not selling financial products.”
“It was so funny watching my old district manager trying to ring a customer up,” another said. “It ended up slowing us down.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to @awalmartparkinglot via TikTok comment.
